9 Steps to the Perfect No-Makeup Makeup Look

A new season means a new look, and spring/summer always brings us some fresh ideas to inspire us when it comes to makeup. This year, everyone from Cosmopolitan to Vogue announced the no-makeup makeup look to be all the rage. The bare faced look was on full display on and off the catwalk, with Kim Kardashian-West rocking it in the Balenciaga front row and Michael Kors, Isabel Marant and many others using minimal makeup on their shows. If you want to rock this look as well and look dashing with almost no makeup, here is a step-by-step guide on achieving that glowing healthy look that took over the fashion world.

Start fresh

The whole point of this look is for your face to appear fresh and healthy, and that is not possible if you have a bunch of skin issues, clogged pores and dead skin cells. To make your efforts worthwhile, you will have to prep your face for makeup by washing it, cleaning it (with a mild alcohol-free cleanser), exfoliating and applying moisturizer. Thinking long-term, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to steam your face from time to time to unclog the pores.

Apply a primer

Primer will additionally moisturize your face making it look even fresher, but that’s not all. Primer also serves to cover imperfections. What’s essential with primers is that you should choose the one that matches your skin type. For dry skin, search for primers containing hyaluronic acid, for oily ‒ go with a water-based formulation and for combination ‒ seek out a mild formula.

Now some tint

This step will make your skin look naturally flawless and healthy. You will need a sheer foundation or a tinted moisturizer that you’ll apply after the primer. Make sure the shade matches the tone of your cheek and neck. Blend the foundation well, and remove any excess with a sponge. Note that a beauty blender will create a better and more natural finish.

A natural blush

Now you will need just a bit of cream foundation to enhance the apples of your cheeks and give them a subtle blush. You can use a sponge to soften and blend the foundation, but patting it with your fingertips should be enough. When choosing the foundation for a natural look, you should know that it is always better to opt for mineral makeup, such as Jane Iredale, that will look and feel light on your face.

To set with powder or not?

Healthy skin is glowing skin and powder can strip it of that glow. However, if your skin type is oily or your foundation is oil-based, you can use a minimal amount of powder to set it up. Loose powder that leaves the skin with a nice texture is perfect for a more natural finish. You should definitely avoid matte and pressed powders.

Just a pinch of eye shadow

You probably think that a bare-faced look requires no eye shadow. While you are definitely free to make this choice, you should know that a light layer of neutral-toned (golden-cream or light brown) matte eye shadow can only make your eyes pop, without being too obvious. Apply it on your upper eyelid and blend it with your finger.

Apply mascara

Continue down the road of making your eyes pop. Opt for black mascara that adds volume but doesn’t make the eyelashes look fake. Just go through your lashes one or two times for definition. Don’t overdo it.

Define your brows

Eyebrows frame your face and with the no-makeup makeup look, that is more important than ever. To make them work for you, you should shape them and, if needed, fill them with powder, pencil or gel. A taupe pencil should work fine for most of the hair colors. If it isn’t right for you, go for cool undertones (black and brown hair) or warm brown (blonde and red hair).

Enhance your lips

Finally, you can apply a very subtle and not too shiny lip balm or an inconspicuous lip stain. Avoid too glossy products and stick to natural rose tones.

This may sound like too much trouble to make people believe you are not wearing makeup, but when you see the results, you’ll realize that it was worth it.